Protect Your Trademark Online

Building the right defensive brand protection strategy is critical.

Submit Marks to the TMCH

The Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) is the most important brand protection mechanism built specifically for the launch of new TLDs. TMCH acts as the authoritative online source for registered marks, monitoring any violations of domain names registered with a trademarked term. A private person or a company can submit trademarks for review. As new TLDs go live, the TMCH will simplify your registration process and monitor for any violations afterwards a new TLD goes live.

Once approved, you will be given a unique code called the Signed Marked Data (SMD) file that will be used when registering either DPML or a domain in a Sunrise phase. Any fees associated with the TMCH are not covered by DPML. To learn more about submitting your mark, see the Trademark Clearinghouse website.

About The Trademark Clearinghouse

Block Your Mark as a Defensive Strategy

Domains Protected Marks Listing (DPML) gives trademark holders the ability to block their marks from registration across all of the new TLDs supported by a given registry. A registry is the organization responsible for managing the domain registration process for specific domains. An example of a registry would be Donuts.

Trademark holders can submit an exact match of their mark(s) - as validated by the TMCH - or a term that contains their exact match mark(s). That term is then blocked from registration in all the new TLDs for that Registry provider for a given period of time.

Simple

A one-time purchase protects a single mark for 5 years. Domains blocked by DPML are not live on the Internet and therefore don’t require the involvement of your IT team.

Affordable

Costs brand owners significantly less than if they choose to defensively register terms.

Powerful

Allows brand owners to protect more than their trademarks. DPML protects keywords that contain the mark.

Flexible

The program allows trademark holders to protect marks in all of Donuts new TLDs with the ability to registered specific domains later.

Examples of DPML Eligible Terms

Trademark

DPML term

Is the term Valid?

Explanation

Yahoo

yahoo

Yes

DPML term is an exact match of the trademark.

Yahoo

yahoooo

Yes

DPML term contains an exact match of the trademark.

Apple

myapple

Yes

DPML term contains an exact match of the trademark.

Verizon

ver1zon

No

DPML term is a misspelling that does not contain an exact match of the trademark. The Term does not qualify.

AMEX

myamexcard

Yes

DPML string contains an exact of the trademark.

UPS

unitedparcelsservice

No

The DPML term includes an additional "s" and therefor does not contain an exact match of the trademark.

Registering a Domain Name with Your Mark

DPML Override

A DPML block on a specific domain may be overridden, or unblocked, at any time. To unblock a new TLD, the trademark holder must have a valid unique Signed Marked Data (SMD) code from the TMCH. Only exact matches of a mark can be unblocked. For example, if Apple wanted to unblock a domain, they could only unblock a domain with the term with “apple”.

Sunrise Phase

If you just want to register a new TLD, try placing an order during the Sunrise phase, this is the initial launch phase of a domain. Sunrise — the first and only mandatory phase during the launch of a new TLD — is primarily intended for trademark holders to register domains that fall under their mark earlier than the general public. An SMD code from the TMCH is required before you can register a domain name during Sunrise. Learn more

DPML Registries

Donuts was founded by domain industry professionals, with extensive registry and registrar experience, to bring variety and choice in Internet naming. Operating 190+ new TLDs, they are the largest new TLD Registry. Donuts will be offering new TLDs such as .bike, .camera, .business, and .ventures. View TLDs